Where is the Good Beer @ JLA?

 

This is a picture of Red Wings fans excitedly converging upon the storied hall of JLA.

Little do they know that they are entering a parched, desolate, craft beer wasteland.

The Leinie Lodge is between sections 115 /116, and has the best selection of beer in the building. You can pick from Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat (sweet, unnatural tasting), Creamy Dark (thin, generic), Amber (grainy, vapid) and  Fireside Nut Brown (not nutty, nor worthy of drinking fireside). These beers are passable in a pinch, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them craft. Even more gag inducing than the $8.75 price tag is the fact that Miller Coors profits as the financial engine behind the Leinenkugel brand.                                                                                           

Of course, that is just my opinion. You may love Leinenkugel, and that's cool. In fact, I went through the rest of the building and noted all of the other places where you can score a refill. 

•    Chelli's between sections 109/110 - Sunset and Amber  
•    Hockeytown Cafe between sections 104/105 - Amber
•    The Olympia Club - Private - Amber  

Hockeytown Cafe's concession had the only Michigan made beer at the Joe, and it was Kid Rock's Badass Beer made by  Michigan Brewing Company. Much like it's name might suggest, it tastes Bad, like Ass. I hate thinking about this stuff soiling the very tanks which ferment my beloved High Seas IPA.                                                                                       

The lack of decent beer choices in the Olympia Club was most surprising. Dudes are wearing power suits, brokering blockbuster mega deals, and pillaging corporate expense accounts! The best that they have available to toast with is Miller Lite or Leinie Amber? Lame. Hopefully when the new stadium is being planned, Mike Illitch will follow the lead of Cobo Hall, and their recently announced commitment to providing local food and craft beer for visitors.

There are plenty of great destinations in the downtown area for pre and post game rounds. For a list, check out the end of my previous blog about searching out good beer @ Comerica Park.